Ercole I d'Este

Ercole I d'Este (26 October 1431-15 June 1505) was Duke of Ferrara from 1471 to 1505, succeeding Borso d'Este and preceding Alfonso d'Este.

Biography
Ercole d'Este was born in Ferrara, Duchy of Ferrara in 1431, the son of Niccolo III d'Este. He was educated at the court of Alfonso V of Aragon from 1445 to 1460, and he became Duke of Ferrara in 1471 upon the death of his brother, Borso d'Este. This move was supported by the Republic of Venice, and it was opposed by Borso's son Niccolo, whose failed attempt at a rebellion against Ercole led to his beheading in 1476. From 1482 to 1484, however, Ercole fought against Venice, which was allied with Ercole's nemesis, Pope Sixtus IV. He was humiliateed during the War of Ferrara, during which he was sick and immobilized as the enemy armies ravaged Ferrara, and during which he ceded the Polesine to Venice. After this, he remained neutral in the Italian War of 1494-98, and he tried to improve his relations with the Papal States. He reluctantly approved of his son Alfonso d'Este's marriage to Pope Alexander VI's daughter, Lucrezia Borgia, a marriage that brought notable territorial donations. He became a famous patron of the arts during the Renaissance, and Ferrara became one of the leading cities of Europe during his reign. He died in 1505, and Alfonso succeeded him as Duke.